Joined: May 15, 2003 Posts: 819 Location: Portland, Maine
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:09 pm Post subject: mako sharks
Yo, I know what you got up your sleeve .. now that your livin' on the west coast! I put up a response to your post on fliesandfinseast.com -- I would be willing to bet, that your crafting up a little trip down to San Diego to fly fish the bluewater for some Mako Sharks .. All sharks are cool on the fly .. but, without a doubt .. Mako's are some of the coolest. The make a tarpon jump look like a joke! I tell ya what, I got the 14 weight rod and reel and all that stuff ... If you book a trip in San Diego to target Mako's .. I want in! Big time! We can get Mako's hear on the east coast and many are caught, but San Diego is the place for Mako's. I would love to catch a "Fly Rod Mako" 50-150 pounds would be ideal! So, I'll bring the gear .. we can split the trip! Sound good? See my post on ffeast for the "nuts and bolts" of what we might need.
Jeremy, Joey, I live in SoCal and fish out of San Diego every weekend most of the year. The mako fishing can be sick off the coast. In some cases a 14 weight is undergunned. But most fish are in the 60 to 120 range and an experienced angler with a 12 weight can handle those models well. Last year a friend of mine came to fish from out of state and when a 12 footer showed up said he had enough and wanted to go back in. These fish have the highest concentration of testosterone of any living animal and can be intimidating.. I've hooked makos that fight hard then all of a sudden swim to the boat just to look at you and wish you would fall in, then tear off again.
Best guides to hook up with are Conway and Dave at Bowman Bluewater, Scott Leon at paradigm shift outfitters or Jeff Stock through the San Diego Fly shop. All of these guys are very good. Scott is the past editor of Flyfishing in Saltwater and fishes hard- you will really get your money;s worth, Conway is the mako whisperer ot here, has written extensively and has many TV appearences and is a great guy, Dave probably fishes mako's the most and is booked early by anglers from all over the world. Jeff has likely the most knowledge of the whole area as he fishes freqently for tuna dorado and YT. I suggest that you book early and pay attention to the best tide swings. Anytime when there is a lot of water moving after a full moon is best. You might want to consider a combo trip, chasing Mako's one day and YT the next. Yellowtail are considered by many the hardest fish to land on a fly rod. They orient to structure and are just brutes. They have the eyes of a permit, the speed of a tuna, endurance of a jack and fight a very tactical battle. For the longest time the record was only 22 lbs because they are so hard to land. If you want a more DIY, come on out and poney up for part of the gas and I'll take you out. You'll have to help out with the teasing and release becuase I'll also be in the fishing rotation. I have a 20 foot Scout CC set up for FF. I'm not a guide, becuase i still have a day job and want to spend my off time fishing. Just drop me a line and we can set it up. One day guided and one day DIY is a good way to go. The guides I mentioned above are worth the money. They have the spots, best chum and day to day info. Drop me a line if you are interested.
Joined: May 31, 2004 Posts: 89 Location: Edwards, Colorado
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject:
Randy-
Sounds like alot of fun. Its funny that you mentioned conway Bowman, I met him and his wife this year at a fly fishing charity event our shop put on. He is a cool guy and I planned on contacting him for so more info. What is the best time of the year to go? I wanted to do like you said, chase makos one day and then yellow tails the next. shoot me a PM with your info and we can try to set something up. Thanks alot
J- Best time is in July but the fishing starts in earnest in mid May. The YT start showing up under kelp paddies offshore in June through October. Again, these are pelagic fish and tide-moon-barometer effect them dramatically. June has a a great mixed bag that includes some huge bonita and barracuda that are top water bites. Lot's of fun on 8 weights. A 10 lb + bonita will out pull a 15 lb Yellowfin. Usually we can fish both in a day if we stay out the entire day (not usually on guide trips). There also exists the possibility of White Sea Bass at that time. A buddy of mine caught a WR class fish out of my boat a couple of years ago, the trip was featured in Flyfishing in Saltwater magazine. It's best to be flexible as swells and wind can make things tough or unpleasant. There are islands and the bay that we usually fish when conditions warrant. My email is nmkrbk@aol.com
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Summary: Flies and Fins contains fly
fishing pictures, videos, tips, tactics, forums and articles related to salt
water and fresh water fly fishing. The stories are comprised of fly
fishing trips and vacations to travel destinations worldwide with fly fishing tips and tactics related
to trout, steelhead, salmon, tarpon, permit, bonefish, tuna, striped bass,
shark, sailfish, and other freshwater and saltwater fish species.
Flies and Fins is an online fly fishing community comprised of fly fishermen of
all different levels and all walks of life. Flies and Fins is a state of mind, a way of life; an opportunity for fly fishermen
to use video, pictures, and the written word to share their fly fishing
experiences and live vicariously through the experiences of other fly fishermen.
Please browse our
stories site map, corresponding
fly fishing story archives,
and forum site map.
Search
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
